Sunday, October 12, 2014

Sunday Salon: Team Gale?

Last week, two big things happened: I went back to work and I finally captured Hawthorne's smile on camera. I'm so very grateful this kid decided to enter the world in the middle of the week because starting back to work on a Thursday really helped me transition back to the reality of dressing professionally and waking up to an alarm. So did having this picture to stare at while I missed him during the day:

Now that I'm back at work, I feel like we're embracing our new normal. As lovely as maternity leave was, it didn't feel like real life, and I was ready to be back at work. I'm so glad to love my job because even though I miss my baby when we're apart during the day, I'm happy to be at work. I imagine the alternative would be pretty devastating.

Speaking of Hawthorne. I named my baby Hawthorne and not one person book blogger has made a Team Gale joke? When you're a librarian and a book blogger and the person most people in real life think of as a Reader-with-a-Capital-R, choosing a first name for your son that is best associated with an author has meant most people assume Nathaniel Hawthorne is my favorite writer (he's not) and that we named our son after him (we didn't, but we do like the association.) I do love that Hawthorne's name is literary, but I am truly surprised no one mentioned the other obvious literary reference: Gale Hawthorne. I'm disappointed, y'all. (And, no, he's not named after Gale either.)

Facing my first full week back at work, I'm off to spend as much time snuggling Hawthorne as I can (and as much time reading Not That Kind of Girl by Lena Dunham as I can while he sleeps.) It's a big week in literary awards too: Tuesday brings the Booker Prize winner (I've only managed to read half the short list, but two are five-star reads) and the National Book Award short list(s) (I've still only managed to read one of the fiction longlisted titles.) I'll weigh in on all the new developments on Twitter and eventually here, but it may not be until next weekend. Happy reading!

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9 comments:

You are fortunate to love your job - I didn't care much for mine which made going back really difficult. Although, I must admit, I recall enjoying having something of a routine again. I did much better the second baby while I was on maternity leave - a toddler will keep you better on track!

That's an adorable picture. Also, how can your maternity leave be over? Didn't you have him, like, a minute ago? LOL. I guess this year really *is* just flying by. Hope your transition into normal life with baby goes smoothly!

He has quite the personality! Glad that your return to work is going well. I was a mess when I returned the 2nd time because 1) I had much more time off with the second one and 2) I was a nursing fool and could not get the pumping thing managed for many many weeks. I had no trouble pumping other than I leaked ALL the freakin' time. In meetings, walking to my office, getting a drink, going to the photocopier. I was always a drippy mess and I pumped for two years!